From emplacement to unroofing: thermal history of the Jiazishan gabbro, Sulu UHP terrane, China

On the eastern extremity of the Jiaodong peninsula, China, shoshonitic magmas have been injected into the supracrustal rocks of the Sulu ultra-high pressure (UHP) terrane during the crustal exhumation phase. These granitoids (collectively termed the Shidao igneous complex or Jiazishan alkaline complex) show geochemical and isotopic signatures of an enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle and intruded soon after the subducted Yangtze crust had reached peak metamorphic pressure conditions (240–220 Ma). We have applied various geochronometers to an alkali-gabbro sample from the Jiazishan pluton and the results allow reconstruction of the Triassic-to-present thermal history. Initial rapid cooling of the gabbro at crustal depths is indicated by the close agreement between the Sm-Nd mineral isochron age (228?±?36 Ma) and the Rb-Sr biotite age (207?±?1) Ma. This interpretation is confirmed by previously published U-Pb zircon ages (225–209 Ma), and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar amphibole and K-feldspar ages (～214 Ma) from the Jiazishan syenites. A titanite fission-track age of 166?±?8 Ma (closure temperature range 285–240°C) records widespread Jurassic magmatism in the Jiaodong peninsula, indicating that the gabbro reached upper crustal levels before it was reheated by nearby Jurassic plutons. A subsequent cooling and reheating event is indicated by an apatite fission-track age of 106?±?6 Ma which coincides with the emplacement of the adjacent Weideshan pluton (108?±?2 Ma) and postdates a period of regional lithospheric thinning beneath eastern China. A period of slow cooling (or thermal stability) from late Cretaceous to early Tertiary, documented by an apatite (U-Th)/He age of 39?±?5 Ma, was followed by a final stage of more enhanced cooling since the late Eocene. Results of this work imply that the eastern Sulu terrane has experienced a complex cooling and reheating history. Our data are consistent with a model of initial rapid cooling (sudden exhumation) of the UHP terrane, driven by the release of buoyancy forces, followed by two progressively slower cooling intervals (both after renewed crustal reheating) during the Jurassic and Cretaceous.     

A model for galactic centres

A rotating Supermassive Magnetized Disk is proposed as a model for all the violent phenomena occurring in the nuclei of galaxies, in the form of quasars, Lacertids, radio galaxies, Seyferts, exploding galaxies, etc. The cold disk feeds a fast-rotating supermassive core (some 10³ Schwarzschild radii in extent), which emits (1) an unsteady thermal wind of filamentary geometry, (2) Low-Frequency magnetic Waves, and (3) relativistic electrons and positrons. The latter reach high -factors by phase-riding the LFWs, emit synchro-Compton radiation on crossing scattered waves (from -ray energies down to radio frequencies), and are eventually focused into two antipodal relativistic beams by their frozen-in toroidal magnetic field. Torsional oscillations between the core and disk give rise to a pulsed injection, and a breathing double-onion shape of the LFW windzone can explain the superluminal jetlike appearance. A big nuclear explosion ends each duty cycle, but many smaller explosions prevent the settling core from collapsing. In this model, the helium production of galactic centres is comparable to the observed cosmic helium.     

U-Pb zircon ages for the Luzhenguan Complex in northern part of the eastern Dabie orogen

The Dabie Mountain is the collisional orogenic belt between the North China Block and the Yangtze Block. As the eastern segment of the central-China orogenic belt, its tectonic framework is corresponding to the Qinling orogenic belt as a whole[1]. The NHB in northern part of Dabie Orogen is regarded as the joint belt between the Yangtze Block and the North China Block, and roughly corresponds to the north Qinling belt of the Qinling orogenic belt, which separated the Tongbai-Dabie hig…     

Der Original-Beerbachit im Odenwald,ein Amphibolit-Hornfels in Pyroxen-Hornfelsfazies

With this petrographic re-investigation of the beerbachite (Chelius, 1892) from Odenwald/Germany geochemical and phase-petrological data are given for the first time.By petrofabric relics (Fig. 7) and geochemical characteristics (Figs. 8–11) is shown that the beerbachite-xenoliths are due to blocks broken down from the surrounding amphibolite series. They are present high grade hornfelses.Beerbachite, porphyroblastic by plagioclase (here porphyroblastic beerbachite, Bbp) (Chelius' Gabbroporphyrit) (Fig. 6) frequently forms marginal zones of beerbachite blocks and is explained as beerbachite-metablastite.Phase relation (Fig. 13) and mineral reactions with increasing metamorphic grade from amphibolite to amphibolite-hornfels (containing hornblende) finally to beerbachite are demonstrated and discussed.The first step may be the mineral reaction: plag_I(An 35–40)+hbl_I+sphene= plag_II(An 50–60)+hbl_II+cpx+opx+magnetite/ilmenite+H₂O. The pyroxene-hornfels facies respectively the orthopyroxene subfacies of the K-feldspar-cordierite-hornfels facies (Winkler, 1967) is only reached with the typical assemblage: plag(An 55–70)-cpx-opx-mt/ilm±(quartz) of beerbachite.On condition that the load correspondends to 3–4 km the maximum temperatures may not have exceeded 720–750° C. This valuation would result from experimental data of Choudhuri and Winkler (1967) of the model reaction: hbl=en+di+an+H₂O, if . The natural conditions will differ from this experimental model because of resp. P _load (p. 81)The very probably required temperature for the mineral assemblage of beerbachite would still be within sub-solidus temperatures of the corresponding model system, according to Fig. 13d. Therefore, the coarse grained plagioclases of Bbp (p. 69) could not be formed from cotectic pockets, too.Finally, convergences and divergences to the beerbachite concept are discussed out of the recent literature.

---

---

Herrn Dr. E. Knauer vom hiesigen Institut danken wir sehr für die Bestimmung des Chemismus zweier Pyroxen-Paare aus Beerbachit bzw. Hornfels mit der Mikrosonde (CAMEGA MS 46), Leihgabe der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft. Den Herren Prof. E. Nickel und Dr. M. Maggetti vom Mineralogischen Institut der Universität Fribourg (Schweiz) und Dr. H. D. Trochim, Mineralogisches Institut der Universität Bochum, verdanken wir Vergleichsproben oder Einsichtnahme in vorhandene Dünnschliffe.     

The concentrations of the noble metals in Southern African flood-type basalts and MORB: implications for petrogenesis and magmatic sulphide exploration

Concentrations of the platinum-group elements have been determined in several suites of southern African flood-type basalts and mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), covering some 3 Ga of geologic evolution and including the Etendeka, Karoo, Soutpansberg, Machadodorp, Hekpoort, Ventersdorp and Dominion magmas. The magmas cover a compositional range from 3.7 to 18.7% MgO, 26–720 ppm Ni, 16–250 ppm Cu, and <1–255 ppb total platinum-group elements (PGE). The younger basalts (Etendeka, Karoo) tend to be depleted in PGE relative to Cu, while most of the older basalts (Hekpoort, Machadodorp, Ventersdorp, Dominion) show no PGE depletion relative to Cu. Further, the younger basalts tend to have lower average Pt/Pd ratios than the older basalts, and the MORBs have lower average Pt/Pd than the continental basalts within the broad groupings of "old" and "young" basalts. This may reflect (1) a decreasing degree of mantle melting through geologic time, and (2) source heterogeneity, in that the MORBs are derived from predominantly asthenospheric mantle, whereas the continental basalts also contain a lithospheric mantle component enriched in Pt. In addition to these factors, some PGE fractionation also occurred during differentiation of the magmas, with Pd showing incompatible behaviour and the other PGE variably compatible behaviour. The examined southern African flood-type basalts and MORB appear to offer limited prospects for magmatic sulfide ores, largely because they show little evidence for significant chalcophile metal depletion that could be the result of sulphide extraction during ascent and crystallization.Editorial responsibility: I. Parsons     

Meteorological causes of Harmattan dust in West Africa

We investigated the temporal dynamics of dust entrainment in the Bodélé Depression, Central Sahara, to better understand the intra-annual variability of aerosol emission in the world's largest dust source. The linkages between dust entrainment and large-scale meteorological factors were examined by correlating several meteorological variables in the Mediterranean and Africa north of the equator with the aerosol concentrations in the Bodélé Depression separately for winter and summer. The methodological tools applied are NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and the aerosol index of the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS-AI), available for 15 years from 1978 to 1993. We found that dust mobilisation during the Harmattan season is highly dependent on air pressure variability in the Mediterranean area. High pressure to the north of the Bodélé intensifies the NE trade winds, leading to an increased entrainment of dust in the Bodélé Depression. In summer, dust mobilization cannot be explained by the large scale meteorological conditions. This highlights the importance of local to regional wind systems linked to the northernmost position of the intertropical convection zone (ITCZ) during this time.     

The use of mycorrhiza for eco‐engineering measures in steep alpine environments: effects on soil aggregate formation and fine‐root development

Steep erosion‐prone and vegetation‐free slopes are widespread in alpine areas and are often discussed since they have a high socio‐economic damage potential. We present an eco‐engineering approach to test whether a mycorrhizal inoculum improves the establishment of hedge brush layers and in turn soil structural stability on a steep, coarse‐grained vegetation‐free slope in the eastern Swiss Alps. We established (i) mycorrhizal and (ii) non‐mycorrhizal treated eco‐engineered research plots on a field experimental scale, covering a total area of approximately 1000 m² on an east‐northeast (ENE) exposed slope, where many environmental parameters can be regarded as homogeneous. After a full vegetation period, we quantified soil aggregate stability, the formation of water stable aggregates and the fine‐root development. Our results illustrate that the establishment of brush layers without mycorrhizal inoculum increased aggregate stability significantly. Against our expectation and glasshouse experiments, the addition of mycorrhizal inoculum did not have a statistically significant effect after one vegetation period although it tended to increase aggregate stability. Analogously, root length density (RLD) tended to be higher at the non‐mycorrhizal treated site. Aggregate stability was significantly correlated with RLD. Studies on a bigger field experimental scale are inevitable, complement glasshouse studies and lead to a better understanding for a successful application of sustainable eco‐engineering measures in alpine environments. Based on our results and considering the fact that the response time in natural ecosystems may be slower than in laboratory approaches, we conclude that long‐term field studies are necessary to validate results gained through laboratory experiments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Atlantic Water flow through the Barents and Kara Seas

The pathway and transformation of water from the Norwegian Sea across the Barents Sea and through the St. Anna Trough are documented from hydrographic and current measurements of the 1990s. The transport through an array of moorings in the north-eastern Barents Sea was between 0.6 Sv in summer and 2.6 Sv in winter towards the Kara Sea and between zero and 0.3 Sv towards the Barents Sea with a record mean net flow of 1.5 Sv. The westward flow originates in the Fram Strait branch of Atlantic Water at the Eurasian continental slope, while the eastward flow constitutes the Barents Sea branch, continuing from the western Barents Sea opening.About 75% of the eastward flow was colder than 0°C. The flow was strongly sheared, with the highest velocities close to the bottom. A deep layer with almost constant temperature of about −0.5°C throughout the year formed about 50% of the flow to the Kara Sea. This water was a mixture between warm saline Atlantic Water and cold, brine-enriched water generated through freezing and convection in polynyas west of Novaya Zemlya, and possibly also at the Central Bank. Its salinity is lower than that of the Atlantic Water at its entrance to the Barents Sea, because the ice formation occurs in a low salinity surface layer. The released brine increases the salinity and density of the surface layer sufficiently for it to convect, but not necessarily above the salinity of the Atlantic Water. The freshwater west of Novaya Zemlya primarily stems from continental runoff and at the Central Bank probably from ice melt. The amount of fresh water compares to about 22% of the terrestrial freshwater supply to the western Barents Sea. The deep layer continues to the Kara Sea without further change and enters the Nansen Basin at or below the core depth of the warm, saline Fram Strait branch. Because it is colder than 0°C it will not be addressed as Atlantic Water in the Arctic Ocean.In earlier decades, the Atlantic Water advected from Fram Strait was colder by almost 2 K as compared to the 1990s, while the dense Barents Sea water was colder by up to 1 K only in a thin layer at the bottom and the salinity varied significantly. However, also with the resulting higher densities, deep Eurasian Basin water properties were met only in the 1970s. The very low salinities of the Great Salinity Anomaly in 1980 were not discovered in the outflow data. We conclude that the thermal variability of inflowing Atlantic water is damped in the Barents Sea, while the salinity variation is strongly modified through the freshwater conditions and ice growth in the convective area off Novaya Zemlya.